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PASTORS


The pastor is the one who tends the flock of God. He is the shepherd or the pastor of the church and his most important role is the constant guiding and feeding of the flock with the Word. Paul, on his way to Jerusalem where he would be imprisoned, called the elders of the church at Ephesus and told them to

Take heed therefore to yourselves, and all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost has made you overse- ers, to feed the church of God, which he has pur- chased with His own blood (Acts 20:28).

The pastor is the shepherd, the one who takes care of the church. Peter called himself a pastor. He was a shepherd. He spoke to the elders and said,

The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder...Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shep- herd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away

(I Peter 5:1-4).

I believe these admonitions set forth very graphically the ministry of the pastor. Many elders were pastors who labored in work and doctrine; however, some elders did not seem to have a preaching ministry (I Tim. 5:17). I will have more to say about this when I discuss the role of the elder in the church.

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